Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ATHLETIC SHORT POCKET
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.
61/514,898, filed August 3, 2011, the entire contents of which are hereby
incorporated by
reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to athletic garments having one or more pocket(s)
designed
and/or located to secure items when the wearer is actively exercising.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Advances in the understanding of human sports physiology have made clear the
performance advantage of maintaining liquid and nutrition intake during
athletic events.
In races, training, and games that occur without outside support, athletes
have learned to
carry their own hydration and nutrition. Replacing water and minerals lost to
sweat
production prevents dehydration and the associated risk of muscle cramping,
rising core
temperature, and reduction in metabolic energy production. In addition, intake
of
carbohydrates is critical for replacement of muscle glycogen used in cellular
energy
production.
Sport, travel and general merchandise stores commonly sell articles for
holding
water and hydrating fluids for use during a variety of activities to enable
the user to keep
one's body hydrated, ward off thirst and improve sports performance. These
fluid-carrying
articles are used for, and during, activities from leisurely walking and
everyday use to
hiking and endurance sports or activities such as running, in-line skating,
cycling and
triathlons. These articles, depending on their configuration, provide varying
levels of
comfort and convenience relative to the intended activity and unique/varying
activity
variables.
Originally, day hikers used small to large frame-less and internal/external
frame,
backpacks with shoulder straps, to carry bottles of water or other containers
for holding
fluids and/or supplements in a hands-free fashion. With the increased
popularity of
running, packs which included shoulder straps presented an uncomfortable means
of
carrying fluid bottles for activities, such as running and fitness walking,
due to the chafing
of the shoulder straps, bouncing, large surface area coverage trapping sweat,
and general
inaccessibility to fluids and/or supplements while in motion (without stopping
to take off
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and open the pack). Bottles, flasks, bars, gel packs and blocks have been
strapped to
hands, or placed in or on belts, packs and pockets. However, hand carrying
items becomes
cumbersome, tiring on the hand and arm, and may hinder competitive performance
levels
over longer periods of strenuous activity and is therefore generally
undesirable for many
athletes. To improve the "hand-free" options for carrying fluids and/or
supplements and
further address the unique hydration carrying needs of more active sports
enthusiasts,
waist packs with a receiving holster or outside pocket for a water bottle have
become
available. These types of packs are similar to a basic general use fanny pack
available
currently at most general merchandise stores. The water bottle holding packs
are similar to
general use fanny packs in that they attach around one's waist with two waist
straps which
usually buckle in the center front of the waist and include a rear "pack"
portion for holding
articles, are commonly made of fabric such as denier nylon (backpack style
material),
which rests just above, or partially on, the buttocks. However, these active
sports water
bottle packs differ from the above described general use waist (fanny) packs
due to the
unique jostling and body movement and activity related variables and physics.
With the
more recent active sports water bottle carriers, the rear pack portion, which
rests on or
above the buttocks and sides, provide one or more vertical or partially angled
mounted
receiving holster(s) or bottle sleeves with an opening at the top, in which
the holster and
opening is sized and shaped primarily to receive or hold "sports" (round cross
section
sports type) water bottles. To use such a bottle-holding waist pack one
reaches ones arm
around and pulls out the bottle, drinks and then replaces the bottle. A
"sports" water bottle
is commonly a semi-durable plastic round cross section type bottle often
utilizing a screw
or press-on cap and a pop-top nipple or the like for drinking. Water or fluid
may be
expressed through the opening or nipple by squeezing the bottle with one's
hand or and
with some by holding the bottle upside down using gravity. Many of these packs
are
offered and constructed to carry up to two or more standard water bottles
(holding
volumes of about 20 oz. of water/fluid). These pack/bottle configurations are
not optimal
for running and other similar jarring types of activities: with such packs
both with the
bottle holster vertically configured, and slanted versions which the bottle
rests at roughly a
45 angle to one side there is considerable bouncing due to the in-optimal
position of the
bottle relative to the waist strap angle producing torsional movement "about"
(around) the
waist strap plane causing localized chafing of the bottle onto the user's
body, and poor
(distant) positioning of the weight (mass) of the water relative to the user's
body's center of
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mass resulting in bouncing, sloshing of fluid in the water bottle due to the
bottle position
and bottle's cross sectional geometry, and ergonomic discomfort due to lack of
integration
of the components relative to the user's body.
In other designs, pockets are sewn into apparel are typically constructed from
one
or more pieces of fabric that create a pouch. This pouch is attached along its
upper edge,
or part of its side edge, to the fabric of the garment. The resulting
container hangs from
this connection or is sewn to the outer material of the apparel along three
sides. To date,
all of these have proven inadequate and unsatisfactory due to bouncing and
swinging of
contents and the resulting friction and irritation, and due to interference
with the swinging
motion of the arms while running.
Compression shorts are garments worn by individuals for a variety of purposes,
but
are primarily worn by active individuals and athletes engaged in athletic
activities.
Essentially, a compression short serves as a type of girdle, providing
compressive support
to various areas of the wearer's body, including the back, hips, pelvis,
abdomen, groin and
thigh areas. Compression shorts are particularly helpful to those who have
suffered some
type of injury to those areas of the body, either for additional support of
those areas
permanently weakened by injury, or for temporary support of those areas while
an injury
heals.
Compression shorts are often manufactured using stretchable or elastomeric
fabrics
such as LYCRATM or SPANDEXTM. Typically, a compression short is constructed
such
that this elastomeric fabric is placed in tension when the short is pulled
onto the wearer's
body, thereby providing some degree of compressive support for the wearer. The
particular part of the body receiving this compressive support depends upon
the nature of
the construction of the garment.
Some athletic shorts and skirts designed for running and other sports are
comprised
of an inner brief or compression short that provides stabilization and
coverage of the
genitalia and an outer short designed to provide style and camouflage the
shape of the
body. Typically, these two layers are designed to connect at a shared
waistband resulting
in a single apparel piece. In addition, past products have had pockets,
supported by the
outer fabric, the waistband, or some combination, for carrying hydration,
nutrition and/or
personal electronics. Attempts have been made to connect the pocket to the
inner short
where it can be stabilized by the compression fabric with an opening in the
outer short, but
design, construction and production have been too difficult.
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Thus, there is a need, especially in the field of running, for an athletic
garment
incorporating a manner of holding items securely and without impeding the
movement of
the athlete wearing these garments. The garments of this invention achieve
these and
other advantages discussed more fully below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary object of the subject invention to provide athletic
garment
having at least one pocket formed therein and configured for receipt of an
item including,
but not limited to, a gel flask, gel packet, food bar, water, or other energy
supplement, that
is held both securely and easily-accessible during exercise. Furthermore, the
pocket is
placed such that the pocket and its contents do not interfere with the athlete
engaged in
exercise, such as running, cycling, hiking, or walking.
The athletic garment construction of the present invention makes possible the
efficient and economical attachment of stable pockets to the inner liner by
moving the
attachment of the outer layer down to expose a section of liner. The
attachment seam may
follow a straight, angled, or curved path to expose as much or as little of
the liner as
needed to anchor the pocket. The pocket may also be positioned to avoid the
path of the
athlete's arm swing and be easily assessable. Through prototyping, testing,
and athlete
evaluation, the present inventors have determined that a preferred position
for the pocket
to be in the hollow, at the side of the hip muscle. Other positions, such as
the center of the
back and the front on the hip are also functional.
The construction of the pocket itself may be further refined through the use
of
elastic fabrics that aid in compressing articles in the pocket against the
body.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 illustrates a back prospective view of an embodiment of an athletic
pant
of the invention;
Figure 2 illustrates a back view of an embodiment of an athletic pant of the
invention;
Figure 3 illustrates a side view of an embodiment of an athletic pant of the
invention;
Figure 4 illustrates the opposite side view of an embodiment of an athletic
pant of
the invention;
Figure 5 illustrates a back prospective view of an embodiment of an athletic
pant
with a side pocket on the right side of the athletic pant;
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Figure 6 illustrates a back view of an embodiment of an athletic pant with a
side
pocket on the right side of the athletic pant;
Figure 7 illustrates a side view of an embodiment the athletic pant with a
side
pocket on the right side of the athletic pant;
Figure 8 illustrates a back prospective view of an embodiment of an athletic
pant
with a side pocket on the left side of the athletic pant;
Figure 9 illustrates a back view of an embodiment of an athletic pant with a
side
pocket on the left side of the athletic pant; and
Figure 10 illustrates a side view of an athletic pant with a side pocket on
the left
side of the pant.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to Figure 1, an athletic garment is illustrated, where the athletic
garment
is an athletic pant and more specifically a short. Though reference is made to
a short
throughout the specification, it is understood that the present invention is
suitable for use
with other athletic garments such as skirts, pants, tights and the like. The
shorts 100 of the
present invention are shown in a prospective view of the back of an
individual. The shorts
100 illustrated are knee length, though it is to be understood that the shorts
could be
shorter or longer, depending on the comfort of the wearer and the activity of
the wearer,
including full-length athletic pants. The short may be a compression short, or
it may be a
looser material, containing a compressive section around the pockets 104 and
106. The
shorts may also comprise loose material over and/or affixed to a compressive
undergarment. In addition, the short may also be connected to an upper portion
such as a
shirt, taffl( top, suspenders or the like. In some embodiments, the athletic
garment may be
a skirt or skorts, which may also be connected to an upper portion.
In one embodiment, the garment has two sections stitched together to make the
shorts 100. It is understood that additional seams and sections may be used
without
deviating from the present invention. The garment may also have only one seam
and may
be a single piece of fabric. Two pockets 104 and 106 are shown in Figure 1,
though it is
understood that either of these pockets may be used individually without
deviating from
the claimed invention, or they may be used together as shown in Figure 1.
Furthermore,
any number of pockets may be added to the garment in any location on the
garment
without deviating from the invention. In some embodiments, the pockets are
located on
the posterior side of the short 100. In some embodiments, pocket 104 and
pocket 106 are
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located between the compressive undergarment or compressive section of an
athletic
garment and a loose material over the compressive undergarment or section. In
some
embodiments, the compressive undergarment or section and an exterior material
(such as a
loose material) are sewn in such a way that the seam between the compressive
undergarment or section and the exterior material recedes below the lip of the
pocket 104
and/or pocket 106 to make it easier to access the pocket contents.
The attachment seam between pocket 104 and/or pocket 106 may follow a
straight,
angled, or curved path to expose as much or as little of the liner as needed
to anchor the
pocket 104 and/or pocket 106.
The present invention also includes optional pocket 102. The optional pocket
may
be located anywhere on the shorts 100, but in a preferred embodiment, the
optional pocket
is located at approximately the midpoint on the back of the short. In some
embodiments,
optional pocket 102 is a pocket located between the compressive undergarment
or
compressive section of a short and a loose material over the compressive
undergarment or
section. Optional pocket 102 may be closed in any suitable manner, for example
with a
zipper, elastic material, buttons, snaps, overlay material or the like, or
combinations
thereof The optional pocket 102 may comprise any number of internal pockets.
In some
embodiments, the optional pocket forms a pocket system including a center
pocket and a
right pocket and a left pocket each having an outer edge, inner edge, top
edge, and bottom
edge. The top edges are open, while the inner edge, outer edge, and bottom
edge are
closed. In some embodiments, one edge of the right pocket may be adjacent with
an edge
of the center pocket. In some embodiments, one edge of the right pocket may be
joined to
one edge of the center pocket. Similarly, one edge of the left pocket may be
adjacent with
an edge of the center pocket. In some embodiments, one edge of the left pocket
may be
joined to an edge of the center pocket.
A vertical centerline of the garment substantially aligns with a user's spine,
and the
first pocket is located on the athletic garment on one side of the vertical
centerline, while
the second pocket is located on the garment on the other side of the vertical
centerline. The
vertical centerline is located at approximately the midpoint of the short. In
some
embodiments, the entirety of the right pocket is located on one side of the
vertical
centerline, while the entirety of the left pocket is located on the other side
of the vertical
centerline. The right and left pockets may be in a substantially symmetrical
configuration
about the vertical centerline, and the center pocket is substantially centered
on the vertical
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centerline. The right, left, and center pockets may be disposed entirely
within one or more
larger, outer pocket(s).
Figure 2 illustrates a back view of the shorts 100. Pockets 104 and 106 may be
set
at an angle on the shorts 100. With reference to the waist 108 of the shorts
100, the top
side of pocket 110 may be parallel with the waist 108 such that angle a is at
approximately
0 . Alternatively, angle a may be any angle. In some embodiments, angle a is
at an angle
from approximately -90 to approximately 90 . In preferred embodiments, angle
a is not
0 , but rather is set at an angle, preferably about -45 as shown in Figure 2.
Pocket 104
may also be a mirror image of itself such that the angle of pocket 104 is
about 45 .
Similarly, top side pocket 112 may be parallel to waist 108 such that angle 0
is at
approximately 0 . Alternatively, angle 0 may be any angle. In some
embodiments, angle
0 may be between approximately -90 to approximately 90 (though may be any
angle).
In preferred embodiments, angle 0 is not 0 , but rather is set at an angle,
preferably around
45 (or about -135 C) shown in Figure 2. Angle a and angle 0 may be at the
same angle,
but may be at different angles. Angles a and 0 may be chosen independently for
optimization of functionality and performance.
In the preferred embodiments, the pockets 104 and 106 as shown in Figure 2 are
advantageously angled such that when the shorts are worn by a user, the
pockets 104 and
106 are positioned in front of the gluteus maximus/minimus muscle in the
concave part of
the body for maximum comfort. In some embodiments, the pockets 104 and 106 are
located on the outer surface of a backside of the compressive portion of the
short. In some
embodiments, the pockets 104 or 106 are located in the hollow at the side of
the hip.
Pockets 104 and 106 may also be substantially a mirror image of themselves
about the
vertical centerline. In some embodiments, pockets 104 and 106 may be similar
shapes and
sizes, and in some embodiments, the pockets 104 and 106 are approximately the
same
shape and/or size. In some embodiments, the pockets 104 and 106 are positioned
on the
shorts symmetrically about the vertical centerline. Furthermore, the pocket
104 and/or
pocket 106 may also be positioned to avoid the path of the athlete's arm swing
and be
easily assessable.
Figure 3 illustrates a side view of the pocket 106. The dimensions of the
pockets
104 and 106 may be any suitable size and any suitable shape. In a preferred
embodiment,
pocket 106 is a trapezoidal shape, such that the opening 112 is slightly
larger than the
bottom of the pocket 118. In a specific embodiment the first edge 116 is
approximately
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0.11 meters. In some embodiments, the second edge 114 is approximately 0.12
meters.
The top edge 112 is approximately 0.067 meters and, the bottom edge 118 is
slightly
smaller than top edge112. The dimensions may be the same for pocket 104,
however,
pocket 104 and 106 may be different sizes and/or shape on the shorts 100.
Figure 4
illustrates another side view of the shorts 100, further illustrating pocket
104. In a
preferred embodiment, pocket 104 is a trapezoidal shape, such that the opening
110 is
slightly larger than the bottom of the pocket 120, the first edge 122 is
approximately 0.11
meters, the second edge 124 is approximately 0.12 meters, the top edge 110 is
approximately 0.067 meters and the bottom edge 120 is slightly smaller than
top edge 110.
In this embodiment, the dimensions may be the same for pocket 106, however,
pocket 104
and 106 may be different sizes and/or shapes on the shorts 100.
Figure 5 illustrates another embodiment of the shorts 200. In this embodiment,
only one side pocket is attached to the shorts 200. Pocket 204 is located on
the back of the
short 200 and off to one side. The pocket 204 may comprise four edges, the top
edge 210,
the bottom edge 220, the first edge 222, and the second edge 224. The pocket
204 may be
similar dimensions as the pocket 104. The pocket 204 may be set at an angle a
with
relation to top edge of the short 208. As illustrated in Figure 5, a may be at
any suitable
angle. In preferred embodiments, a is at an angle between the top of the
shorts 208 and the
top edge 201. Angle a is between about 00 to about -90 (about 0 to about 90
). Shorts
200 may include optional pocket 202. Figure 6 illustrates the back view of
shorts 200.
Pocket 204 is illustrated with pocket 202. The top edge 210 of pocket 204 is
at an angle a
with relation to top edge 208 of the shorts 200. Figure 7 illustrates a side
profile view of
shorts 200. Pocket 204 is illustrated in Figure 7, along with a partial view
of optional
pocket 202. The pocket 204 may also be positioned to avoid the path of the
athlete's arm
swing and be easily assessable.
Figure 8 illustrates another embodiment of the shorts 300. In this embodiment,
only one side pocket is attached to the shorts 300. Pocket 306 is located on
the back of the
shorts 300 and is off to one side. Optional pocket 302 is also illustrated.
Figure 9
illustrates a back view of shorts 300. Pocket 306 and optional pocket 302 are
shown.
Pocket 306 may be the same dimensions as pocket 106. Figure 10 is a side
profile view of
shorts 300. Pocket 306 and optional pocket 302 are shown.
The pockets may be made of any suitable material, including a stretch or
elastic
material such as LYCRATM, SPANDEXTM, mesh, and the like, or any combination
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thereof A portion of the pocket may also be the same material as the short.
The pockets
are located on the shorts such that they do not impede the wearer when the
wearer is
active. For example, the wearer is free to run without her elbows coming into
contact with
the pockets. However, the pockets are also positioned such that the wearer has
access to
the pockets to remove items from the pockets while active. For example, the
wearer may
store at least one gel pack or flask, at least one block, at least one food
bar, or other
nutritional need, or personal belongings of the wearer such as a personal
electronic device,
a cellular phone, keys, or the like or combinations thereof, within the
pockets.
Additionally, the material of the pocket stabilizes the stored item, allowing
the wearer to
carry heavy items without it flapping or moving during the activity of the
wearer.
Optionally, the top of the pockets may include an elastic band or another
mechanism to
seal the pocket, such as a zipper, elastic material, at least one button, at
least one snap,
additional material flap, button, snap or the like, or combinations thereof
In some embodiments, the athletic garment may contain marking material. The
marketing material may be a company logo, a race number, an identification
mark or
combinations of the same. The foregoing examples of the present invention have
been
presented for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, these
examples are
not intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein.
Consequently, variations
and modifications commensurate with the teachings of the description of the
invention,
and the skill or knowledge of the relevant art, are within the scope of the
present
invention. The specific embodiments described in the examples provided herein
are
intended to further explain the best mode known for practicing the invention
and to enable
others skilled in the art to utilize the invention in such, or other,
embodiments and with
various modifications required by the particular applications or uses of the
present
invention. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to include
alternative
embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art.
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